Aaaahh,
the final
chapter. I've
been dreading
this. But
first a
thank you
to everyone
who'se reviewed
me so
far:

KittyLynne:
Probably the
most thorough
reviewer I
have. XD
I'm sorry
for all
the weird
wording sometimes,
editing is
NOT my
strong point.
At all.
But I'm
always flattered
when you
review, and
I hope
your daughter
liked the
Hotohori stuff,
too.

Psychodahlia:
Ahh! You
give me
ideas! Every
since I
read that,
I've been
preoccupied with
the idea
of "After-Life
Lessons". But
anyway, your
reviews always
give me
encouragement, and
I cheer
when I
see new
ones.

K.
A. Maples:
I found
that I
had a
chapter of
"Masks" on
the brain
when I
read this
chapter (I'll
bet you
can tell
which one!).
Thanks for
fluffy feelings
and inspiration.
:D

Yume
Matsuri: I
don't have
as much
to say…
but thanks
for reading
anyway. Hey,
it rhymed…

Okay.
Let's go
give Mitsukake
some love,
and cheer
Chiriko on.

Tomorrow
we leave
for the
northern lands
to search
for the
Shinzaho. Miaka
and Nuriko
left with
Tamahome to
go visit
his family,
Hotohori continued
to makes
plans for
the trip
with Chichiri,
and Tasuki
was doing
what he
could to
avoid helping
pack the
boat. That
left Mitsukake
and me
to get
a few
last minute
supplies.

"How's
your hand,
Chiriko?"
he asked,
a little
under his
breath.

"My
hand?"
I looked
down at
it. Only
a little
scar was
left from
where his
cat had
bit me
a few
days ago.
"It's just
fine, thank
you for
asking."

"Oh."
He turned
away. It
looked like
he had
been beating
himself up
a bit
for Tama-neko's
behavior. I
would have
said something
to comfort
him, but
that might
have just
made him
dwell on
it more.
He wasn't
going to
let it
go, though,
until he
felt he
made up
for it.
"Do you
mind if
I have
a look?"

"Um,
if it'll
make you
feel better,
go ahead,"
I offered
my hand
up to
him. He
bent it
a around
a little
a looked
it over,
possibly a
little bit
miffed there
was nothing
he could
do to
help it
along. He
bent my
wrist over
in an
uncomfortable way,
and a
few people
around us
in the
market place
took notice
of my
yelp of
pain.

"What
do you
think you're
doing to
that poor
little boy?"
an elderly
woman raised
her voice
in Mitsukake's
ear. "Let
go of
him, you
pedophile!"

"Ahh--
no, I-"

"Really,
young men
today are
all such--"

"It's
alright ma'am!
He's a
doctor,"
I said
in his
defense.

"This
man is
a doctor?
He doesn't
look…" she
searched him
up and
down. "Oh,
I'm sorry.
I seem
to have
mistook your
age, doctor."

It's
not likely
she misjudged
his age
to begin
with, but
Mitsukake was
very embarrassed
either way,
and kept
this head
lowered for
a while
after that.

"Are
you alright,
Mitsukake?"
I finally
asked, but
expected a
placid answer.

"I
don't think
the city
is the
best place
for me,"
he groaned
a little.
I was
secretly pleased
that he
gave me
an honest
answer, since
he never
really complains
to anyone.

"You
won't have
to stay
here much
longer,"
I tried
to put
a positive
spin on
the situation.
"What are
your plans
for after
we summon
Suzaku?"

I
took a
seat next
to him
and continued
to ask
him questions,
since everyone
in the
team knew
my plans
for exams,
but I
didn't really
know anyone
else's plans.
"What were
you doing
before you
met Miaka?"

His
face struggled
to come
up with
a good
expression when
I said
that. "It
wasn't a
very… desirable
lifestyle, we'll
say that."
Mitsukake never
ceases to
interest me.
Perhaps that's
just a
part of
how secretive
he is.
He'll probably
never be
the kind
of person
to completely
open up
to just
anyone. Seeing
that, however,
I was
very surprised
by his
next comment:
"I really
wish we
didn't have
to leave."

"…Mitsukake?"

"Somewhere
in the
back of
my mind,
I'm dreading
this journey,"
he clentched
his fists
together. "But
maybe that's
just how
pessimistic I
am."
I wasn't
sure what
to say,
so I
just looked
down at
his hands
with him,
until he
looked back
up at
me. "How
do you
feel about
it?"

"Oh?"
he raised
his eyebrows,
wondering how
one might
study for
something like
that.

"Yes,"
I grinned.
"I've learned
I have
companions to
keep me
strong, but
I still
have to
have my
own strong
attitude. I
can't give
up, because
I have
people here
I want
to protect."

Mitsukake
looked at
me wide-eyed.
"That's quite
a daring
mindset."

"Heh,
maybe it
is. But
I've also
had to
learn not
to get
upset when
things don't
work out."

"I
see,"
he smiled
wistfully. "All
that in
just a
few days,
it seems.
You pick
things up
very fast."

I
blushed but
tried to
ignore the
flattery. I'm
so thankful
that Mitsukake
is such
a good
listener, and
I don't
feel fake
around him
at all.
However, today
he seemed
a little
more talkative
than usual.

"So
how did
you feel
about this
upcoming journey
before all
of that?"

It
was that
question that
floored me.
Not so
much the
question itself,
but my
thought process
answering it.
I was
so proud
of myself
for everything
I had
been learning,
and so
proud of
being able
to try
to help
summon Suzaku
to protect
Konan. After
all my
childhood studying
my role
as a
warrior, now
I was
excited to
finally take
up my
responsibility. With
my character
shining, anyway.

But
without my
without that,
my true
personality shines
through. And
it's that
personality that
is still
reluctant to
risk everything
important to
me. I'm
still small,
scared, ignorant,
and weak.
And I
still have
my whole
life ahead
of me
here.

The
truth is,
the confident
personality that
came with
the mark
of Suzaku
was just
an excuse
to make
myself go.
I still
didn't want
to go
for so
many reasons.
And then
the tears
fell. Tears
more honest
than all
the ones
I had
been shedding
since I
came to
the capital.

Mitsukake,
I think,
was completely
aware of
everything I
was thinking,
but he
didn't say
a word.
He didn't
hold me,
or try
to make
me feel
better, but
only offered
a hankerchief
for me
to hide
my swollen
face behind,
and finally
said a
few words
after we
had been
silent for
a while.

"That's
alright, Chiriko.
You're still
growing up,
and you
have reason
to be
afraid. Wouldn't
it be
nice if
everything you've
learned was
already a
part of
you? It
just doesn't
happen that
way. Those
virtues aren't
just things
you can
study; they
have to
be practiced."

I
sniffed back
the last
few tears,
not looking
back at
him yet.
"But I…"

He
put his
hand on
my head
to quiet
me back
down as
he gave
me a
gentle smile.
"The real
Ou Dokun
doesn't learn
everything right
away. You
still have
a long
time to
learn it
all at
your own
pace. But
for the
moment, just
keeping trying
in your
own way."

If
Suzaku blessed
Mitsukake with
more than
just healing
powers, it
was definitely
a gift
for words.
We finished
gathering the
last supplies,
and returned
back for
our last
night at
the palace.
The five
of us
here stayed
busy all
evening, and
well into
the night.
I can
now honestly
say I'm
both dreading
and looking
forward to
finding the
Shinzaho, because
I'll really
learn what
I've heard
lectures about
recently. It
won't make
me a
different person,
but I'll
come back
with everyone
as a
better version
of myself.
I look
forward to
seeing what
kind of
man I'll
grow into
someday, once
I finally
help my
fellow warriors
and priestess
summon Suzaku
and save
our country.

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.